Free Drunk

Album: America Give Up (2012)
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Songfacts®:

  • Howler is a garage rock band from Minneapolis, Minnesota comprising lead guitarist and vocalist Jordan Gatesmith, drummer Brent Mayes, guitarist Ian Nygaard, keyboardist Max Petrek and bassist France Camp. Gatesmith's previous musical history includes such ridiculously titled groups as Total Babe, A-Cups and Gay Animals. On the strength of an EP and their live show, the quintet were signed by Rough Trade Records. In the summer of 2011, Howler recorded their debut album America Give Up, which was released on January 16, 2012 in the UK and the following day in the US.
  • This song is a thinly veiled attack on the Minneapolis scene that, according to Gatesmith, "on the whole, hates our guts." "I felt like I was never really wanted there," he explained to NME. "A lot of people are genuinely enthused and are like, 'Holy s--t this is amazing, this is the first time this has happened since 1986 for this city.' But, on the other hand, Minneapolis is full of music has-beens and people that almost made it. They're all in their 30s starting bands with each other. There we were, these 19-year-old kids that ended up getting signed to Rough Trade. No wonder people hated us."

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